Questions and Dilemmas
by pink-seafoam-and-sparkles
Summary: A montage of one-shots with rue, Seeder, Prim, Katniss, Hazelle, and more about the same set of dilemmas.
1. Questions Before the Arena

**A/N: Hey guys, I wrote this for a friend who had the same question Rue did, and wanted to hear a story about it. She found it absolutely hilarious, and I thought maybe you would, too. If you have any constructive criticism, _please_ share it with me, but try not to be too harsh :). I didn't have any good ideas for a title, so if you come up with a better one, please let me know! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games, all rights go to Suzanne Collins**

Seeder's POV

Sighing, I trudge back into the living room where Esmerelda is sitting on the plush blue couch, gossiping to Thresh's stylist about some girl named Gretchen. I can't help but roll my eyes. A twelve-year-old sleeping in the room next door is being sent to die in a few days, as is a strong boy who has a grieving girlfriend back at home. I just came back from cleaning up Chaff who is slowly drinking himself to his death, and all Esmeralda and Fushia can do is talk about was some random Capital freak's love life. "Do they not care about the kids?", I can't help but ask myself. As soon as I think the question, I realize the answer: they care about them, but not in a loving way, not at all. Not in the way I can't help but get attached to sweet, little, innocent Rue. They care about Rue and Thresh for their entertainment. Esmerelda and Fushia want to see Thresh and Rue die slow, painful, dramatic deaths. It almost makes me throw up as much as Chaff just did, but I control myself just as I have done so many times in the past.

A door slowly creaks open, and Rue comes out in her pastel blue nightclothes, looking bleary-eyed and worried. Yes, she looks very worried. "What's wrong?" I whisper quietly, glancing over at my co-workers, but they are too involved in themselves (and their gossip) to pay attention to their tribute. Rue looks up at my with those big brown eyes and very quietly, so she's not overheard, asks "What do I do if I get my period in the arena?"

I almost burst out in laughter, but don't. Out off all the things Rue could be worried about, she chooses this?

"You don't." I reply.

Rue's brow crinkles in confusion. "But since the winter it's been coming every 26 days! How does it just _not_ come?"

"It only comes when you're healthy enough to have a baby. In the arena you will probably not be healthy enough. And on the off-chance you're doing so well in the hunger games and it does come, the sponsors will be already in love with you and we'll have enough money to send you the necessary supplies.", I tell her.

"Thanks." She smiles the genuine smile only Rue can smile, and I can't help but pray that she comes back alive and I can see that smile whenever I want, but I know it's not going to happen. After tucking her back into bed and saying goodnight I go back to where I started: sighing.


	2. Dilemmas of a Victor's Sister

**A/N: I got 5 reviews in 24 hours! Yay! You guys made me decide to turn a one-shot into a two-shot! Yay! This story is from Prim's POV sometime during Catching Fire (which I don't own). It kind of has the same general theme as chapter 1, so I put it to this story. Enjoy!**

Prim stared, mouth wide open, at the shopping list in disbelief. "Tampons? You put _tampons_ on our shopping list for the Hob? That's so embarrassing!"

"What's so embarrassing? We're a family of three woman, we need our supplies." her older sister calmly explained.

"But...but.." Prim was flustered, trying to explain this seemingly obvious fact that a thirteen year-old-girl can't take this piece of paper out in public.

"But what?"

"You know what!" Prim exclaimed, cheeks burning.

"Oh! Is it that you don't want anything to happen that could potentially ruin your date?"

"It's _not_ a date!"

"What is it then?" Katniss countered, eyebrows raised.

"Rory and I are simply doing our necessary chores together. Our chores being that we need to go shopping to bring home supplies for our family." Prim said matter-of-factly, trying to bring her face back to it's original shade.

"Tampons are supplies." Katniss replied, holding back her laugh at Prim's frustrated expression.

"And Rory Hawthorne is a boy. A male. Someone who does not need to use or hear about... our womanly problems." the deep breathing Prim was doing was barely helping her voice stay stable.

"Problems? Plural?"

"Yeah! You know: tampons, annoying sisters, clothes…" By now Prim's voice was almost a whisper, "boys."

The few seconds of silence that followed were the perfect cue (in Katniss's mind) to start singing "Prim likes Rory! Prim likes Rory!" causing Prim's blush to deepen to a dark pink.

Katniss received a well-deserved slap on her arm. "You know, I'm starting to think you've never been thirteen years old!"

Katniss chuckled, giving in to her sister's protests, "Fine. I'll cross it out." She grabbed a pen and drew a thin blue line through her neat handwriting.

"You can still see it!" Prim screeched, hoping she wasn't hyperventilating. Katniss just rolled her eyes, "I'm sure Haymitch has white-out. I'll get some." Katniss was half-way out the door when her sister pulled her back in, having a full-fledged panic attack.

"What's wrong?", Katniss attempted to calm down her younger sibling.

"Hazelle will be there! She'll ask what you need the white-out for and you'll have to tell her and… and… and she's Rory's mom!"

Katniss, of course, found this remarkably funny, but tried to hold back her laughter. "It's okay," she said, "I'll just get some white paint from Peeta and paint over it. Okay? It will be fine." Prim nodded, "Okay, but hurry. Rory will be here soon."

In a matter of minutes Katniss was back and had a jar of white paint with her. She gently took the shopping list from Prim's hand and applied the substance to the paper, making it look as if nothing had been written there. In the newly empty spot she wrote "White paint for Peeta". Katniss showed Prim her work. "Good?", she asked.

"Perfect." Prim replied, hugging her favorite (and only) sister.

Just then, there was a knock on the Everdeen's door. Katniss pulled it open. A familiar, cute, black-haired, olive-skinned, grey-eyed boy who looked like a younger version of his brother stepped through the door.

"Hey, Rory", Prim breathed, her face emitting a huge smile.

"Prim." the grin on Rory's face matched the blush on his checks.

"Ready to go shopping?"

"You bet! I hope you don't mind, but my mom wants me to buy her some tampons." Rory told his crush, rolling his (beautiful) grey eyes.

The look on Prim's face was priceless.


	3. Dilemmas of Necklaces

**A/N: Okay, so apparently I am "forbidden to not continue" so here's another chapter for you guys. This takes place a few hours after Chapter 2 (Dilemmas of a Victor's Sister). This chapter is based off of a real-life event, but Hunger Game-ized. I don't own anything. Enjoy!**

Hazelle's POV

The door opens and my second-oldest son walks in with items from the Hob in his arms. He puts the food in the pantry, gives the sweatshirt to Gale, and puts the box of tampons in my hands.

"I hope you enjoy those," he tells me, "because Prim looked freaked out when I told her we had to get them. I think I scared her."

"Judging from your blush, I can tell it didn't matter, you kissed her goodbye anyway." Gale counters.

Rory's blush deepens. "Shut up." he mutters, and quickly walks into the back room to talk to Posy about subjects he is more comfortable discussing.

I chuckle and turn to Gale. "It seems that whenever I have a son with me, buying tampons just causes hardship."

Gale just rolls his eyes. "That wasn't _my_ fault."

I shoot him a look.

"Well, _maybe_ it was." he amends.

Rory seems to be ignoring Posy and listening to our conversation. He got that from his father. Sage never could keep his nose out of anyone else's business. Rory walks over now and sits down next to me on the couch.

"What are you talking about?" he inquires.

"When Gale was 5 I took him to the Hob with me. Your dad was in the mines, I couldn't find anyone to watch him, and I desperately needed to buy tampons, so I took Gale with me." I start to tell Rory.

"So the whole fiasco was totally her fault, because _she_ was the one who took me there." Gale interjects.

I just ignore him (I have 18 years of practice) and continue my story.

"Anyway, so Gale and I were walking over to Fern's booth, where she sells them. And, of course, there was the universal sign for tampons there-" I'm cut off by Rory.

"That circle thing with the thing on it?" He asks (while I inwardly applaud his vocabulary skills. Not.)

I nod. "Yes. That sign. At this point in time Gale decides to pull on my sleeve and loudly say 'Mommy! Why are we on line to buy necklaces!' in front of the whole Hob."

Gale smiles sheepishly. "What?", he defends himself, "The sign looks like it had a necklace on it!"

"No it doesn't!", Rory tells him, loving the fact that his seemingly perfect older brother could ever make a mistake.

Gale has the perfect response, "Oh, Rory! I forgot to ask you: What did Prim do after you kissed her?"

Rory's expression just makes Gale and I laugh harder.


	4. Questions After a Non Date

**A/N: ...And here's another chapter! I know it's kind of short, but I couldn't really think of anything else to add on... but I think it works! Yadira and Jasmine are based off of 8 of my friends combined into 2 people, so just imagine what it's like for me at school with 8 Yadira and Jasmines... haha but I love them anyway :). I don't own anything. Enjoy!**

Prim walks into school the next morning to her squealing friends.

"Sooooooo… how was you date?" Yadira asks.

Prim rolls her eyes. "It wasn't a date."

Yadira just rolls her eyes back at Prim and says sarcastically, "Sureeeeee."

"Did he kiss you?" Blurts out Jasmine. "Why would he kiss me if we weren't on a date?" Prim asks, but her blush gives her away, bringing on another round of excited squealing.

"Okay, enough about me, how did your Sundays go?" Prim tries to change the subject.

"Nothing really happened. I mean, I helped tailor a dress if that counts." Jasmine's parents were tailors and Jasmine was always helping with orders.

"What about you, Yadira?" inquires Prim, desperate for the conversation to not turn back to her date-that-wasn't-a-date.

Yadira shrugged. "Nothing exciting happened. Especially not anything as exciting as your date."

Prim rolls her eyes (again) an tells her friends that it wasn't a date (again). "Can we just change the subject?" Prim finally asks.

"Why?" Jasmine asks, being difficult.

"Because." Prim counters.

"Because why?"

"Because it wasn't a date."

"Yes it was."

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was."

"No it wasn't."

"Yes it was!"

"Omigod! You're so annoying!" Prim cries out, exasperated.

Jasmine pouts. "Why are you so moody today?", she teases, "I mean, you won't tell us anything."

"Omigod! Are you on your period? Maybe that's why you're so touchy today!"

It's right then and there that Primrose Everdeen decides she hates questions. With all her heart.


End file.
